China's railways brace for Mid-Autumn Festival travel peak

China's railways have recorded a travel rush on Friday, the first day of the three-day Mid-Autumn Festival holiday, as many people go home to be with their families or visit tourist attractions.

Passengers are seen at Hangzhou East Railway Station in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, September 13, 2019. [Photo: IC]

A total of 13.7 million train trips were expected to be made Friday, said China Railway.

Trains throughout the country carried 11.58 million passengers on Thursday, 1.74 million more than the same period last year.

To meet the surging travel demand, a total of 802 extra trains were put into service on Thursday, according to the company.

The Mid-Autumn Festival, one of the most significant traditional Chinese festivals, is usually marked by family reunions, enjoying sights of the full moon and eating moon cakes among other customs.